The Enemy of Boredom
o N 21 ISSUE
FREE Every Month January – February 8th 2014 Edition wuwomagazine.com facebook.com/whatsupwhatson twitter.com/whatsupwhatson
INSIDE : Leonard o DiCap rio, Vic Ree Bob Mo ves, Mad Co rtimer, & Mark nductor Stevens on COMEDY
FOOD
FASHION GAMING
MUSIC SCIENCE
ONLINE
WUWO Online WUWO’s website features uncut interviews, exclusive content and a backlog of our previous editions. Each month we pick a few new posts we feel might tickle the pickle. 20 Reasons Why Retail Staff Hate You. Anyone who has endured working in the retail industry knows that it is desperately far from easy. WUWO has dug out the top 20 customer crazies, covering the reasons why retailers hate the general public. From constant complainers to refund refugees, head online to discover the type of irritating shopper you are. www.whatsupwhatson.com/20-reasons-retail-staff-hate
An Interview with Louise Dearman WUWO was lucky enough to share some time with British musical star Louise Dearman. Louise is the first actress ever to have starred as both wonderful Wicked witches Glinda and Elphaba. Not only does Louise have an extensive musical theatre portfolio, she has also just released her third album ‘In Time’. WUWO spoke to Louise ahead of her performances in ‘An Evening of Movies and Musicals’ and her ‘It’s Time’ tour. www.whatsupwhatson.com/an-interview-with-louise-dearman
Cartoon Conspiracies We’ve all grown up watching cartoons. They provide fun and whimsy and offer an outlet away from the real world. But just how “fun” are these cartoons? Do they run deeper than we first thought? WUWO takes a look at the top cartoon conspiracy theories, unveiling a unique perspective on how we once viewed our favourite cartoons. www.whatsupwhatson.com/cartoon-conspiracies
Best of Craigslist Once again WUWO has trawled the goldmine that is Craigslist and unearthed some rather odd gems. From wanted worn underwear to a woman seeking an R. Kelly impersonator, visit WUWO Magazine online to discover some of Craiglist’s most bizarre listings. www.whatsupwhatson.com/best-of-craigslist-2
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WUWO Magazine Contributors WUWO Media
10 Art Explorer
LOCO is a non-profit organization which works to discover, develop and screen the world’s most distinctive comedy film-makers. Part of this process is the London Comedy and Film Festival which takes place on January 23-26.
12 Interview:
Mad Conductor
Self-described ‘renegade space rockers’ Mad Conductor are an experimental hiphop collaboration from New Orleans. We interrupted MC Devlin’s holiday plans to talk about Dante, New Year’s resolutions and the new album ‘MC Rises’.
16 Interview:
Leonardo Di Caprio
Ahead of The Wolf of Wall Street’s January UK release, WUWO spoke to Leonardo to find out about working with Scorsese, playing the bad guy and marine biology.
20 Interview:
Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer
Iconic comics Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are back on BBC Two this January, fronting a stellar cast in new BBC sitcom House Of Fools. Vic and Bob discuss characters, cameos and rat-bear creatures.
26 Interview:
An Optimist’s Tour of The Future
Mark’s critically acclaimed tech travelogue ‘An Optimist’s Tour of the Future’ is currently in translation into video, with the help of Syd Mead (Blade Runner, Aliens) and famous cover artist Roger Dean. WUWO sent a writer/pessimist out to see if Mark’s optimism would rub off.
Regulars 06 Top Picks
27 Game Play
08 Food
28 Likes
10 Art
29 Tech
24 Fashion
30 Books
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Editor in Chief Steven Godwin Editor Jack Courtez Copy Editor Emma Goodwin Design & Illustration Marian Hutchinson Writers Aleesha Sharma Alex Chiejina Arden Bronstein Clinton Nguyen Emma Goodwin Ghazala Jabeen Lloyd Paige Matt Berg Matthew Cook Nicole Auckland Rebecca Perry Sam Fresco Sara Hoque Sonal Khandelwal Tessa Hearle To get in contact about editorial requests: content@wuwomagazine.com Advertising requests: advertising@wuwomagazine.com
WUWO Magazine is published monthly by WUWO Media. We try and make sure all our information is correct but details may be subject to change. Any physical submissions are sent at the owners risk and we will accept no responsibility for loss or damage. Nothing printed in WUWO Magazine can be copied or republished without our written permission.
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TOP PICKS
Top Picks Hand-picked, intriguing happenings, venues, clubs, shops and more from London and beyond. British Music Experience
Highgate Cemetery
The O2, London SE10 0DX, every day 11:00 – 19:30, £13, discounts available
London N6 6PJ, open daily, 11:00 – 16:00, £4+
Dedicated to the last six decades of British pop music, the British Music Experience is an interactive museum featuring a large collection of images, videos and musical memorabilia. Highlights include Geri Halliwell’s Union Jack dress, John Lennon’s glasses and Freddy Mercury’s jacket and trousers. There’s also an interactive studio, where you can pick up an instrument, take lessons from a pro and record yourself playing a variety of songs.
A nature reserve and the burial place of Karl Marx, George Eliot, Michael Faraday and Douglas Adams, amongst many others, Highgate Cemetery has some of the finest funerary architecture in the country. Visitors may roam freely on the East Side, but the West Side is by guided tour only. Features include Victorian buildings, chapels, catacombs, the Circle of Lebanon and Egyptian Avenue, as well as the graves themselves.
Daumier: Visions of Paris
A Cappella Festival
Royal Academy of Arts, until January 26, performances every 30 mins between 10:00 and 16:30, £10, discounts available
Kings Place, 90 York Way, King’s Cross, London N1 9AG, 23-25 January, £9.50+
Daumier was best known as a caricaturist and a satirist. His works give a commentary of social and political life in France in the 19th century, with many of his works infused with ridicule as he observed and mocked bourgeois society. This exhibition looks to explore the works and legacy of Daumier, with a focus on his drawings, paintings, watercolours and sculptures from the years 1830 to 1879. Many of his 130 works featured have never been seen before in the UK. wuwomagazine.com
Now in its fifth year, the A Cappella Festival offers the chance to immerse yourself in all things vocal and the world of a capella. The schedule is packed full of diverse performances, from Russian orthodox chanting to funk fusions. The world champion female beatboxer, Bellatrix, presents eight new vocalists in the project Backstep, the all-American House Jacks make their London debut and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir make a rare trip to London to present music from Estonia and Russia.
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The BP exhibition
Vikings life and legend 6 March – 22 June 2014 britishmuseum.org #VikingExhibition Open late Fridays
Supported by BP
Book now
Sword, late 8th–early 9th century. Kalundborg or Holbæk, Zealand, Denmark. Photo: Arnold Mikkelsen. © The National Museum of Denmark. Background: Kim Westerskov/Getty Images.
Deer Tick
Frank Skinner: Man in a Suit
Relentless Garage, 22 Highbury Corner, London N5 1RD, January 23, 19:00, £13
Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, Soho, London WC2H 7BX, January 21 – February 22, 19:30/21:30, £20
Deer Tick are a five-piece alternative-country band with an ever-changing line-up that means no two shows will ever be quite the same. Formed in 2004 by the only official member, John McCauley, the band plays a mix of covers and original music from their five studio albums at their live shows, occasionally playing entire sets as Nirvana tribute band Deervana. Their music has been described as a combination of folk, blues, indie and country, receiving wide critical acclaim. wuwomagazine.com
Well-known for his satire, intelligence, wit and smut, Frank Skinner the stand-up and TV personality has extended his Man In A Suit tour to include five weeks at Leicester Square Theatre. Fans who know him only from his TV shows are likely to be surprised by his risqué stand-up persona, but Skinner is bound to be funny in any context and in front of any audience. In this tour he talks about his return to stand-up in 2007 after a decade-long break.
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FOOD AND DRINK
Food and Drink Meat munching, street snacking and cocktail concocting content created to provide palates with delectable dishes.
Community Kitchen Community Kitchen runs a street food and pop-up restaurant business serving ethically sourced food at markets, festivals and in and around London. Community Kitchen brings together a wide range of people to chat, eat and share recipes, as well as develop food-market businesses. Try their delicious hot wraps, filled with spicy Dorset lamb or chickpea tagine and served with fresh tomato chilli sauce, crunchy salad and yoghurt mint dressing, wrapped up in a homemade flatbread. All of their food is made from scratch, so head to The Real Food Market on Southbank between Friday and Sunday for some real feel-good food.
Horn Ok Please Breathe in the tingling aroma of fresh and fragrant spices from the finest quality Indian vegetarian street food, courtesy of Horn Ok Please. This delightful food stall cooks flavoursome dishes including the delicious Pani Puri, a dish filled with a mixture of potato, chickpeas, chaat masala and chutney and the aromatic Bhel Puri. Make sure you try the mouthwatering Aloo Tikka, a firm local favourite. Their quirky name is often painted on the rear of elaborately decorated tuk-tuks, so they’ll be easy to spot at the Borough Market, Kerb and the Real Food Fest.
Alma de Cuba Cuba’s coffee revolution has stirred the nostrils of coffee devotees and its unmatched quality has brought to heel its dry corporate rivals. The beauty of smelling Alma de Cuba’s freshly roasted coffee is little matched in sensuality both in taste and texture. Harvested upon the tropical climes of Cuba’s mountains in rich and fertile soil by dedicated and expert farmers- the Campesinos – the coffee beans are of pure enlightened finery and quality. So pour yourself another and join the coffee revolution! wuwomagazine.com
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FOOD AND DRINK 09
Cocktail of the Month: Ginger Spice It might be cold, wet and miserable outside but this fiery blend of ginger ale, whisky and jalapeño peppers will definitely spice things up. You will need: ● ● ● ● ● ● ●
Faustino I Gran Reserva 2001, £16-£20
A tall glass Skewer Ice (preferably crushed) Fresh jalapeño peppers 250ml Non-alcoholic ginger ale 50 ml bourbon whiskey Lime wedge (optional)
The end of the holidays is no reason to stop the wine flowing, especially when you could be sipping a delicious Rioja on a lazy Sunday evening.
Method: ● Fill a third of the glass with the crushed ice ● Skewer one jalapeño from top to bottom ● Remove the skewer and place the jalapeño
in the glass
● Pour the bourbon over the pepper ● Top with ginger ale and stir briefly ● Add lime wedge and serve.
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Named ‘Wine of the Year’ by Decanter magazine and made from Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo grapes, Faustino Gran Reserva 2001 is described as having a “restrained, mineral style with relevant tannins.” Available from Sainsburys, Costco, Fine and Rare, Wine Rack, Makro, Matthew Clark and independent stores.
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ART EXPLORER
Art Explorer LOCO is a non-profit organization which works to discover, develop and screen the world’s most distinctive comedy film-makers. Part of this process is the London Comedy and Film Festival which takes place on January 23-26.
Loco commissioned some of Britain’s most exciting artists to create limited edition prints for LOCO screenings, the sales of the former supporting their work. ` www.locofilmfestival.com
THE DAY OFF Behrad Taherparvar
SUBMARINE Lizzy Stewart
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ART EXPLORER
LIFE IS SWEET Noreen Khan
AIRPLANE Tom Hartshorn
HAROLDANDMAUDE Design: Sam Ashby Illustration: Paul Slater
SHAUN OF THE DEAD Alexandra Delaney
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12
MUSIC
Mad Conductor
Self-described ‘renegade space rockers’ Mad Conductor are an experimental hip-hop collaboration from New Orleans. True to the city known as ‘the birth place of jazz’, Mad Conductor brings big-band jazz, funk, electronic, psychedelic rock and reggae into the mix.
Lead vocalist MC Devlin started his music career with No Ca$h, a crack-rock-steady hardcore punk band. Disenfranchised with the lack of originality in the punk scene he left it behind, trained as a Shaolin warrior and came back to music as a hip-hop artist. We interrupted MC Devlin’s holiday plans to talk about Dante, New Year’s resolutions and the new album ‘MC Rises’.
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MUSIC 13 What are your plans for New Year’s? We’re playing a show on New Year’s Eve and starting our tour of the American West. For sure the best way to start a year.
biblical aspect for me. Dante’s writing really inspired me because it’s so vivid with his use of language.
Do you have any New Year’s resolutions planned? Yeah, last year I quit smoking weed. I think it’s a good opportunity to cut out a bad habit or even just to start a new one.
It inspired me to turn up the juice in my own writing. Dante almost had an MC like flair. He had lines boasting like a rapper would about rapping or rhyming skills like ‘No man alive could describe to you the way I’m about to describe this next piece.’
Did you keep your resolution? Yeah, I was a chronic smoker everyday. Part of it was getting the flu last Christmas. I haven’t smoked since and I don’t miss it.
People get down on rappers for boasting but it’s part of hip-hop, it’s how it was born, MC’s boasting about their DJ’s and trying to get people to attend their block party.
How has it affected your writing and performing? It’s definitely made me a lot more of an extrovert. I’ve always been good for performing but being high at a show could definitely affect me. Maybe I’d be a little bit inside of myself but now I’m balls-to-thewall going crazy, I’m not self-conscious at all.
In Dante’s ‘Inferno’ isn’t a level of hell frozen? Yeah, the lowest level is where Lucifer is preserved in a giant Ice cap and that’s where I got the title from for one of the songs on the new album ‘Atop An Ice Cap’. It’s about being over the devil and above evil.
Weed makes you really examine yourself and your decisions beforehand. For a time it was really important for me when I needed to examine myself a little bit and make some personal improvements in the way I treated people. As a younger guy I was pretty fiery, angry and aggressive and it helped smooth me out. But then I found things were getting maybe just a little bit too smooth, a little soft around the edges.
You were originally not a fan of Kickstarter until you were persuaded to give it a go and it ended up funding MC Rises. How do you feel about it now? I didn’t want to go around begging for donations but once I realized people were more than willing to donate it was less of a problem. Sometimes it takes a few people to convince me of an idea, I can get a little bit stuck in my ways. Kickstarter is a great tool, a great way to get around the middleman and kick out the record label.
Does your musical progression from hardcore punk to hip-hop mirror this transition? It followed the natural progression of my life. Even between the start of Mad Conductor and now we’re a completely different band, we still play all the old stuff but there’s real change in our music. I’m 28 now and I was 21 when I started Mad Conductor. A lot changes in seven years, including my interests. How would you describe your new album ‘MC Rises’? It’s a concept album for sure. The cover of the album really sums up the message and the story both musically and lyrically. It pictures myself in ninja gear ascending a mountain. I’m leaving an illuminated cave, which represents the studio and Dan McKinney, the studio engineer I co-founded Mad Conductor with. The ascent represents Dante and Virgil from ‘The Divine Comedy’. Virgil was only able to take Dante so far up Purgatory Mountain before turning back. When it’s time to hit the road and assemble the band I leave Dan behind, he’s very much involved in composition and bringing my ideas to life but he’s a family man with businesses. He can’t be running around the country these days. So Dante had a big affect on this record, in what way? I started reading ‘The Divine Comedy’ half way through the making of the record. It really struck home how parallel the stories were. I didn’t do well at school, I wasn’t in any advance classes and I definitely didn’t study Dante. It took me years later to pick up Inferno and go ‘this sounds pretty cool’. I’m interested in hell as it’s the most fascinating wuwomagazine.com
Your track ‘Soulless Experience’ is a lot about your dissatisfaction with labels, would it have existed if you’d used Kickstarter from the start? I had a bad experience with a record label and lost a lot of money I would have got if I could have just released it like I can now by myself. I can get a song out of any bad experience and that’s where ‘Soulless Experience’ comes from. It’s a cool song and hopefully I’ll recoup my losses with it. Tell us about your Kung Fu training? I’m a second-degree black belt in Shaolin Kung Fu. I moved to New Orleans in 2008 and I’d all but quit music. It was a lost year as I pretty much spent it drinking and hanging around the city. It didn’t feel right because I’ve always been a very active person. That year of hibernation gave me a lot of pent up energy and I’ve always been interested in Shaolin Kung Fu, the powers of the monks and their philosophy behind it. I found a school that offered lessons and I threw myself into it. I went to classes every day, trained afterwards, punched a lot of trees, got in shape and changed my diet. The main aspect of Kung Fu is self-preservation, whether that’s from the exercise in training or the ability to defend yourself. Has it had an effect on Mad Conductor post-2008? Definitely. On a topical level, there are lots of references in my lyrics to Kung Fu battles, sword fighting, nunchucks and other weaponry. On a deeper level, it’s the respect, loyalty, chivalry, honour and brotherhood that influences my writing and beyond.
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MUSIC
An Interview with
The Jar Family
A collective of singer-songwriters, The Jar Family have established their very own musical style, dubbed ‘Industrial Folk’. WUWO caught up with Dali on the way to a gig and talked open-mic nights, caravans and carnival goldfish. You’ve got a streams of consciousness style with some of your lyrics, do your songs come about in a similar way when you are writing? It takes forever to write a track. Sometimes I feel they’re never done. There’s a Cappadonna (WuTang Clan) line where he says “I’m a poet, my work is never done.” With my song I’ll rough draft a verse like a giant lump of clay, let it harden then come back at it to chip away at that lump, get a better shape and repeat. I used to just write and let the pen flow, find a good few lines and join them with others but now my storytelling and influences are changing I’m looking for a more continuous approach in my songs. How did you find your UK dates in 2007? It was great. It was the best tour we’d done, we’d go do a show on a Tuesday night in a pub in a town we’d never heard of before and it’d be packed. They may not be there to see the band or even know the band but they really respected it, they’d stop talking when we were playing and buy you a beer afterwards. It was a magical experience. In fact, we used to jokingly call it ‘the magical mystery tour’. Are you excited to be playing Gilman Street? Yes I am, it’s a venue in the Bay Area outside of Oakland California where bands like Rancid, Operation Ivy and Green Day got their first gigs and their start. I don’t think it’ll be open forever as it’s an artist collective and not a corporate space so I’m very happy to have the chance to play there while it’s still going. What are your plans for a year or two down the line? I want to break into the mainstream, play bigger concerts and play all over the world. It’s pretty much a kid’s rock and roll dream without the lavish rock star lifestyle. It’s about being able to do this for a career and having guys playing and touring with me. I’d be fine sleeping on the floor of some warehouse after playing punk venues every night but it’s hard to convince five guys to go out and do that with you. wuwomagazine.com
How has the rise of The Jar Family affected day-today life for you? I’m used to working hands on, working in recycling plants and skips. To have a musical, onstage thing as my job, I love it. I couldn’t ask for any more out of life. I’ve sold my soul to the devil so I can get this far, so I’m going to enjoy it while I can. So you spent nine months in a caravan for your first album didn’t you? The camp has actually gone now, I think it’s a running farm but I’m not sure. It was absolutely brilliant to have those times, making cups of tea out of snow and having a shower out of a hosepipe. We were squirting it through one of those things you drain pasta off with. It was absolutely freezing but
This Month in History
Important Event: London Metropolitan Railway opened to the public The world’s first underground railway, known as the Met, opened to the public on 20th January1863, with gas-lit wooden carriages pulled by steam locomotives. It transported both passengers and goods. 38,000 passengers were carried on the first day and within the first year this had increased to 9.5 million passengers. Work began in 1860 but sadly the main campaigner for the Metropolitan railway, Charles Pearson, died before the project was completed. The route now forms part of London Underground’s Metropolitan Line.
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MUSIC 15
cushty in the summer. It was the perfect setting for musicians writing songs. You couldn’t have asked for anything better.
down. The second album was written in the same way, but we seemed to put more into it. We had 20 tracks to pick from for the second really.
Nine months of song writing, I suppose that makes it your baby? Yeah, it does. The first album brings back all the memories of staying down there, some of them were good and some of them were bad. We all had our own different problems back home, but it was all good.
Do you have any before or after rituals for gigs? Before, we don’t drink. And afterwards… we have a drink! No, we don’t have any rituals, we all just seem to sit in the van, have a bit of crack. Not crack as in, you know… crack as in laughing crack!
How has your writing process changed from the first album to this most recent album? I think we’ve evolved from the first album. The first album was just sort of like solo songs that we put
Birth: Martin Luther King, Jr.
Clergyman, activist, humanitarian, leader of the African-American Civil Rights Movement and Nobel Prize winner Martin Luther King, Jr. was born on 15th January 1968. He led the Montgomery Bus Boycott, helped to found the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an African-American civil rights organisation, organised non-violent protests, and helped to organise the 1963 March on Washington. He later expanded his activism to include issues of economic injustice and the Vietnam War. In the United States, the third Monday of January is now a national holiday celebrating King’s birth, known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Day or Civil Rights Day.
Media Release: Yellow Submarine, The Beatles Legendary band The Beatles released their tenth studio album, Yellow Submarine, on 17th January wuwomagazine.com
It’s always pretty hard travelling. Is there any way you’ve found to acclimatize to it? No, I never get used to it. It’s always horrible travelling. Always. We’ve got a tour bus. It’s got a TV in the back and leather seats, you just slip and your bottom gets sweaty.
1969, intended as a soundtrack for the film of the same name. The album contained psychedelic rock on one side and the symphonic film score on the other. Only four of the six Beatles tracks were new material and unlike the film, the album was not favourably received. It is considered to be The Beatles’ weakest album and it was one of their few releases not to top the charts in either the UK or the US.
Patent: Incandescent light bulb
Although Thomas Edison did not invent the light bulb, he did invent the first commercially practical incandescent light bulb. Through use of an effective incandescent material, a higher vacuum than previous attempts and a high electrical resistance, Edison made power distribution economically viable. Although the patent listed “cotton and linen thread, wood splints, papers coiled in various ways” as ways of creating the carbon filament, several months after it was granted Edison discovered a carbonised bamboo filament that could last over 1,200 hours. Edison eventually merged his company with Englishman Joseph Swan’s to avoid a legal battle, forming the company “Ediswan”.
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CELEBRITY
LEONARDO DICAPRIO From an evil slave trader to a shady socialite to a morally bankrupt stockbroker, it’s been a busy year in film for Leonardo DiCaprio. Ahead of the January release of his new film ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’, WUWO spoke to DiCaprio to find out about working with Scorsese, playing the bad guy and environmentalism. The Wolf of Wall Street is your fifth movie directed by Scorsese, are you his go-to-guy? Do you have a similar relationship to the bond he had with Robert De Niro? I couldn’t ever think of that comparison, simply because to me that is the greatest cinematic relationship ever. Those were the movies that I grew up watching and was inspired by more than any other cinematic relationship, so I don’t even try to bring that in as a factor. I don’t try to compete with that. I think that ‘Taxi Driver’ was the epitome of independent filmmaking. I think what they captured in that time period, especially with that screenplay, was one of the most intricately tortured portraits of a mental breakdown I’ve ever seen. It is ‘the’ independent movie. When did you first meet Scorsese? I was in New York. I was 18 or so. I had just done ‘What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?’ and there was an after-party at some bar downtown. Scorsese was there. I quickly bumped into him and I was sort of paralyzed. I just sort of stood there, and [you said], ‘Hey kid, I saw your movie. You did a great job. Keep it up.’ I just didn’t say anything. I was shocked. I had done two movies at that time, ‘This Boy’s Life’ and ‘Gilbert Grape’. I was shocked that he had actually seen the film and said something. I was just blown away.
As you got to know each other, what surprised you? We have this image of Martin Scorsese, I think. I didn’t quite understand what a professor of film he is, how he could challenge anyone in the world as far as his knowledge of film is concerned. He keeps talking about plot being insignificant to him. When he does a movie, it’s about the characters, it’s about the people. That’s a process that needs to be nurtured. So, what surprised me about him was all those things - and what a nice guy he is. In ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ you play Jordan Belfort, who was convicted of stock market manipulation in the 90’s and went to jail for it. How did you prepare for the role and did you meet him? Oh yeah, I spent a lot of time with him. To me, it’s a psychological portrait of a man that has an insatiable appetite for money, women and drugs and has absolutely no regard for anyone else except himself. It’s a journey in that time period in the corporate world of Wall Street, which is the setting, but it’s not necessarily about Wall Street, it’s about a man who is obsessed with consumption. Obviously with the times we’re in, it’s a very interesting subject to take on: how much can we really take for ourselves, and what are the ramifications of that? So ultimately, it’s not the most sympathetic
CELEBRITY 17
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CELEBRITY
character in the world but some of the best portrayals in cinema haven’t been that. It was one of the most entertaining, fun experiences I’ve ever had, to work on that movie, specifically with Scorsese. What was it like to work with Jonah Hill? Jonah Hill is probably one of the greatest improvisers I’ve ever worked with. He’s completely fearless standing in front of a group of people and coming up with incredibly spontaneous, brilliant dialogue. There were multiple occasions when the scene became something absolutely different just because he would bring up some hilarious subject and we would just riff on it until the film canister ran out. Marty would let us do it all over again from a different angle and we’d keep riffing. So there is a lot of improvisation when working with Scorsese? I remembered seeing a documentary on ‘King of Comedy’ and seeing a lot of improvisation. But this, by far in our collaborations, had the most controlled chaos. A lot of the films in the past had a very structured plot. But this wasn’t redoing ‘The Catcher
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in the Rye’. This wasn’t some great American novel we had to be specific to. What impact did it have on you playing a character like Jordan? When you jump into that world headfirst, as we did, we just became kind of different people on set. You have to stop yourself from being this incredibly arrogant prick. What was the hardest aspect? The speeches. I have never had a monologue like that in my life; one went on for four pages. It was amazing. I was supposed to get up there in front of 600 extras and give this giant Braveheart-like speech on greed and my throat just seized up. How did you approach the role? One of the early conversations we had was about why these people are so detestable. You know, they have no conscience for people outside of their finite little world. I remember talking to Marty about that and he said ‘Look, the thing I’ve learned
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CELEBRITY 19
about doing movies is if you make these people as authentic as possible, you don’t sugar-coat that, people will forgive anything and they will like those characters -- not what they’re doing, but they will be invested in them.’ It’s a very conscious choice not to show the ramifications of their actions. Throughout the picture, you go on this acid trip with them, without any regard for the people around them. You’ve completed three films back to back, what affect has it had on you? I actually did ‘The Great Gatsby’ first, then I went into ‘Django Unchained’ and then I went straight into this. Usually I like to take a nice six months to prepare for each role in between, but I had been waiting for this movie to happen for so many years. Steven Spielberg visited the set of ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’, what was that like? That was like a double-whammy for everyone on set. Everyone who had to act that day was like, ‘Spielberg and Scorsese are watching me? Jesus Christ!’ So what’s next for you? I never really question why I want to do a movie. I’m
in a very lucky position where I get to choose the types of films I want to be a part of. The last three movies I did were all about money, greed and power and the ascent and fall of those characters. I mean, Gatsby is a guy who created this vision of himself in the underworld back in the 1920s and Django Unchained was about a plantation owner who was obsessed with power, money and owning slaves, which was the currency of that time. Then ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ set in the 1990’s and it’s a very similar theme. I haven’t worked for the last 10 months and I’ve got nothing on the horizon. I’ve been doing other stuff, like environmental work. Would you have been this active as an environmentalist if you weren’t an actor with so much opportunity to influence people? If I wasn’t an actor, I was going to become a marine biologist. I think I would probably have become an environmentalist to some capacity if I hadn’t had the lucky opportunity of becoming an actor. I’m now trying to bring attention to those issues. Only 2% of philanthropy goes towards helping the environment. It is the most under-funded, under-publicised issue on our planet, and it’s really a shame.
LEONOARDO DICAPRIO: FACT FILE
• Leonardo DiCaprio was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. • His father was a comic-book artist. • His first taste of movies acting was a role in “Critters 3” (1991), a horror film. • His first on-screen roles were brief stints on ‘90s soap opera “Santa Barbara” and classic US ‘80s sitcom “Growing Pains.” • First major film role was in 1993’s “This Boy’s Life,” alongside Robert De Niro. • He was offered the role of Dirk Diggler in “Boogie Nights” but opted for “Titanic” instead. • In 2004, he revealed in an interview with Katie Couric that he has had obsessive-compulsive disorder since he was a child. • He is an environmentalist. He founded the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation to support sustainability efforts and created a climate change documentary called “The 11th Hour.” He also drives eco-friendly cars, such as the Toyota Prius and a hydrogen-fueled BMW H7. wuwomagazine.com
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20
COMEDY
An INTERVIEW with
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COMEDY 21
VIC REEVES and BOB MORTIMER wuwomagazine.com
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22
COMEDY
Iconic comics Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer are back on BBC Two this January, fronting a stellar cast in a new BBC sitcom House Of Fools. Set in Mortimer’s home, every episode of House Of Fools sees Bob frustrated by the uninvited lodgers, visitors and guests who constantly fill his house. Led by Vic, Beef, Bosh and Julie come together each week to wreak havoc on Bob. WUWO caught up with the dynamic duo to find out more about House Of Fools and talked comedic characters, cameos and rat-bear creatures. Can you tell us a little about the show and your characters?
other roles I would choose Julie because she is a beautiful lady.
Vic: The show is about Bob’s house and his suffering of a variety of idiotic characters. I play Vic Reeves who is one of the idiots. It’s not me, but he looks a lot like me and sounds like me too.
Do you have a favourite episode?
Bob: House Of Fools is set in my place where I live with Vic and my Norwegian son Erik (Daniel Simonsen). All I want is a quiet life, but this is impossible due the antics of Vic’s mates Beef (Matt Berry), Bosh (Dan Skinner) and our next-door neighbour Julie (Morgana Robinson) because they all treat my flat as a second home. I am boring and staid but underneath this bluster is the fact that Vic and everyone else bring some fun into my life. How did the idea for the series come about? Vic: The BBC asked us to write a sitcom, so we did. Bob: We wanted the challenge of a studio sitcom, which is one of the few comedy genres we’ve not attempted. A house full of idiots seemed the easiest setting. We can write idiots quite well.
“I am boring and staid but underneath this bluster is the fact that Vic and everyone else bring some fun into my life.” Who is your favourite character and why? Vic: There’s a little creature I bought in an auction and it’s a little rat-bear toy. We used it in the show and it was all over an episode called ‘The Wig Affair’, walking off with various items. That’s my favourite character. Bob: I like them all. Each of the characters has an episode that revolves around them. In ‘The Probation Affair’ Bosh steals the show. In ‘The Pork Pie Affair’ Beef is king. If I got the chance to play one of the wuwomagazine.com
Vic: I love them all. Bob: My favourite episode is ‘The Birthday Affair’. I got to have a bath in a tin bath on top of a cooker and spend half the show in a coffin, which was very relaxing.
“You couldn’t imagine anyone else playing these characters once you get to meet them.” There’s been a revival of studio-based sitcoms in recent years. Does working with an audience give the show a different type of energy? Vic: I always have energy on set so I’m happy either way. Bob: Performing in front of an audience gives you an extra 10% energy and the chance to react to the instant feedback. Having an audience in the studio makes you perform rather than just act. There are some fantastic comedy actors in the show, were their roles written with them in mind? Vic: You couldn’t imagine anyone else playing these characters once you get to meet them. Bob: We could hear their voices and imagine their stupid faces as we wrote every line. Are there any cameos coming up in the series you can tell us about? Vic: Yes! There are several, including Reece Shearsmith and Frank Harper. Bob: Special mention must go to Nikki AmukaBird and Reece Shearsmith, both of whom stole the show in their respective episodes. Nikki appears in ‘The Probation Affair’ and Reece is in ‘The Ghost Affair’.
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ON DEMAND 23
TVOD
WUWO picks out some TV on demand shows that you can watch when you’re good and ready.
BENEFITS STREET
COMMUNITY SEASON 5
Available from: Channel 4 Categories: Documentary Release Date: Jan 2014
Available from: Shady streaming websites Categories: Situational Comedy Release Date: Jan 2nd 2014
About: This documentary series reveals the reality of life on benefits, as the residents of one of Britain’s most benefit-dependent streets invite cameras into their tight-knit community. The series follows residents of ‘Benefits Street’ as they navigate their way through life on the bottom rung of Britain’s economic ladder. It’s a place where residents face challenges such as bringing up children in poverty, illiteracy, low levels of education and training, drug and alcohol dependency, and crime. But it also has a strong sense of community.
About: If you missed previous installments, Community is an absurd and firmly tongue in cheek take on western culture presented through assorted meta misfits trying to get their life in order through attending community college. Dan Harmon is back in control of his creation after a disastrous season 4 without him, which we’re pretending did not exist. The trailer shows the return of brilliant side characters and the departure of some well-loved main characters. Expect riots, cults and the return of the ass crack bandit.
SHERLOCK SEASON 3
ARCHER SEASON 5
Available from: BBC iPlayer Categories: Investigative Drama Release Date: Jan 2014
Available from: 5USA Categories: Animated Adult Comedy Release Date: Jan 13th 2014
About: The question on everyone’s lips will finally be answered when Sherlock returns with three brand-new action-packed adventures. How did he do it? And how will John take the news that his best friend faked his own death? What will Sherlock think when he finds out John has fallen in love with Mary Morstan? She’s sensible, quick-witted and not at all taken in by Sherlock’s posturing. Once again, the game is on for Sherlock and John in the first episode of the new series, The Empty Hearse written by Mark Gatiss.
About: Self described as a cross between James Bond and Arrested Development, the show centers around a suave, arrogant and depraved secret agent and his disturbing Freudian relationship with his boss/mother. Freely jumping through time without so much as an acknowledgement of the issue, the focus is on sharp dialogue and slapstick action scenes, which are given plenty of room to breathe. Creators have promised a ‘radical departure’ from the previous style, a move that based on the already anarchic nature of the show, could be brilliant or miserable, with nothing in between.
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24
FASHION
Fashion WUWO's fashion section seeks out the best, the boldest and the freshest in fashion, presented in digestible chunks alongside exclusive item giveaways. BLUE INC Twisted Soul Maroon Quilted Hoody £29.99 www.blueinc.co.uk JILTED GENERATION T-Shirt (black) £19.99 www.Thisispulp.co.uk
H&M Mauritz Archive Collection Jeans £41.76 www.hm.com
HENLEYS Roly Padded Jacket in Charcoal £39.99 www.Getthelabel.com wuwomagazine.com
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FASHION
OLIVER BONAS Azuza Dress £65 www.oliverbonas.com
ASOS Geo Pattern Turtleneck Jumper £32.00 www.ASOS.COM
IRON FIST Shoes (Flats) £29.99 www.thisispulp.co.uk
BERGANS OF NORWAY Bergfrue Grey Mélange Coat £180 www.srcunningham.co.uk
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25
26 SCIENCE
Mark is an author, speaker, musician and comedian focusing on science, technology and the future. His critically acclaimed travelogue ‘An Optimist’s Tour of the Future’ is currently in translation into video, with the help of Syd Mead (Blade Runner, Aliens) and famous cover artist Roger Dean. WUWO sent a writer/pessimist out to see if Mark’s optimism would rub off. How would you describe yourself? I’m an author. Some people call me a futurologist but I think that’s pretty bollocks. In fact I think most futurology is pretty ropey.
is most definitely in that third category. The interesting thing is decision makers are normally also in that third category, which creates what I call ‘institutional bewilderment’.
Why is that? I think a marketing or advertising firm in America just stuck ‘ology’ to the end of a word to make it sound scientific.
Can you give an example? Well what about that American senator who tweeted a picture of himself naked, thinking he’d sent it to just the one person he was trying to chat up?
Sticking ‘ology’ on the end of a scientific word hasn’t exactly ended well in the past. Exactly. You can’t predict the future, but you can ask the right questions about it.
Keynes thought technology would bring about the 15-hour working week due to increased productivity, but this seems further away than ever. Do you think current predictions of technology are similarly naïve? It is certainly possible. We’re working to make shit we don’t want for people we don’t like. I think people will start to question this more and more. By the time you’re my age you might have a 3D printer and a bacterial fuel source. This means the ability of someone with money to influence your life will decrease. Technology in general has a democratizing effect, with a few exceptions.
Can you give a description of your book, ‘An Optimist’s Tour of The Future’? It’s a book I wrote for my mum about cutting edge science and technology. Most books about this subject are written by geeks for geeks and that’s great. I’m a geek and I read those books but I feel issues like mapping the human genome, the climate and the direction the Internet is heading in are important issues for everyone. So I shamelessly wrote a Bill Bryson/Michael Palinstyle comedy romp around the planet to explain these things in a non-trivial way. It just so happened this involved diving with the president of the Maldives while discussing climate change and going to Harvard to interview the head of genetics to find out about the future of humanity. Did your attempt to get people outside of the science world interested in it work? I got an email from a priest saying it’d changed the way he leads sermons. It’s deliberately a-religious and deliberately a-political because I don’t care about your viewpoint: it affects you and you need to know about it. How tech literate is your mum? It depends. Everybody is massively tech literate as we all use sewers, paper and pencils. Douglas Adams said there are three types of technology: technology invented before you were born which you don’t think of as technology, technology which has came about between your birth and your 45 birthday which you think is going to change the world and then there’s technology invented after you’re 45, which just makes you confused and angry. My mum wuwomagazine.com
Surely new technology in the past has been withheld from most people? If you go back to your parent’s generation they’d say you’ve had nothing held from you. Your phone has access to as much information as the US President had 30 years ago. Where does Wikileaks play into this? Regardless of your political view, the ability for Edward Snowden to have done what he has was entirely possible because of technology. His ability to protect himself through notoriety and coverage is completely different to in 1965, where he’d be in a hole in the ground by now. With mass access, curating and editorship of power, you need mass responsibility. Your generation is going to have to rethink individual responsibility into a collective approach.
Further events coming soon www.2045fs.com Let’s explore the future together on the 14th October 2013 at the Watford Palace Theatre.
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GAME PLAY
27
Gameplay Here’s our monthly gaming top picks for all your black mirrors. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (360/PS3) – 14 February Taking place five hundred years after the end of Final Fantasy XIII-2, Lightning, a reoccurring character from the XIII series, awakens from a self-imposed hibernation thirteen days before the end of the world. The player is given seven in-game days to save the people of the dying world, which can be extended to thirteen days through completing missions and quests. As with any Final Fantasy title expect stunning graphics, an immersive soundtrack and complex character development, as well as new features such as an improved combat system, an open world and a time limit. Although part of a series, the game is designed to be played by newcomers and hard-core fans alike.
Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z (360/PS3/PlayStation Vita) – 24 January Based on the manga and animé franchise Dragon Ball, this teamfighting action title allows up to eight players to battle it out. The game’s main feature is four players versus four players in co-operative play, although single player mode is also available. The game has 3D visuals, whilst still retaining the original look of the series. There are over seventy playable characters, including Goku, Vegeta and Gohan, who can be modified by collecting and applying ability cards. On top, there are four different battle types to suit different play styles. Although it’s unlikely to appeal to anyone without a love of Dragon Ball, Super Saiyan and Street Fighter fans are unlikely to be disappointed.
Fantasia: Music Evolved (360/Xbox One) – Coming soon The interactive successor to Walt Disney’s 1940 animated film Fantasia, this game combines music and magic in order for players to transform animated landscapes. Using Kinect motion control, the game is controller-free and allows players generate life by dancing. The soundtrack features Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons: Winter, 1st Movement and Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain, as well as Some Nights by fun. and Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. Each song is also accompanied by several remixes. If you’ve ever wanted to play god through dance, this is your chance. wuwomagazine.com
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28
WUWO LIKES
WUWO Likes Every month the WUWO team trawls the internet, hangs around in music shops, goes to the cinema and sits in front of the telly. We compress a month’s worth of intensive procrastination into WUWO Likes, a brief guide to this month in media. DVD Fruitvale Station – January 14 First released in cinemas in July 2013, ‘Fruitvale Station’ tells the story of Oscar Grant’s, before he was fatally shot by police in the early morning of New Year’s Day 2009. The true story follows the 22-year-old Bay Area resident’s final day, where he crosses paths with friends, family, enemies and strangers. Ryan Coogler’s first feature-length film has been critically acclaimed and is an emotionally-charged, unflinching character portrait of Grant, played by Michael B. Jordan. The film is due for release on January 14.
Film The Truth About Emanuel – Coming soon Formerly ‘Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes’, this surreal allegorical film focuses on protagonist Emanuel (Kaya Scodelario) as becomes obsessed with Linda, a neighbour who bears a striking resemblance to the girl’s dead mother. The plot is slow to get moving, but pays off when it does. Written and directed by Francesca Gregorini, this is a film about the secrets we keep from ourselves and others, as well as salvation, when we save another instead of saving ourselves.
Album Azealia Banks: Broke with Expensive Taste – Coming soon It’s hard to believe this is Azealia Banks’ first album, but after first being announced in early 2012 the rapper, singer and songwriter’s debut album ‘Broke with Expensive Taste’ is currently set for release in January 2014. Her music is a mixture of dance-friendly beats and sharp, smart, profanityriddled lyrics coupled with an excellent, fast-paced delivery. With the album containing mostly new material, as well as previously released tracks ‘212’, ‘BBD’ and ‘Luxury’, we’re sure the album will be worth the wait!
Online RobinWords (www.robinwords.com/game) RobinWords is a non-flash and strangely addictive vocabulary-building word game. The idea is simple: the computer gives you a four-letter word, and you change just one letter to make another real four-letter word, but you can’t change the order of the letters. The winner is whoever leaves the other player with no more possible words to use. If the computer uses a word you’re unfamiliar with, you can click on it for a definition. You’ll find yourself desperately ransacking your mental vocabulary after only a few turns.
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TECH 29
Technology It’s a new year and if you were well behaved in 2013, maybe Santa brought you some new gadgets. For those of you that only got coal, here’s some tech to make up for any disappointing presents. If you have any tech you’d like me to review, please send it to sam@wuwomagazine.com
SketchChair Ever lost the will to live while shopping for mass-produced Swedishdesigned furniture? Here’s an alternative that will make finding the perfect chair an absolute doddle. SketchChair allows you to design your own furniture, using a simple sketching interface. The program automatically generates the 3-D structure from the 2-D line drawing. Users can test the stability and support of their designs with a customisable self-simulation. The software then generates cutting profiles, which can be exported to an online fabrication service to be shipped to you as a flat-pack. The chairs are easy to assemble, and best of all, they’re your own design. www.sketchchair.cc
Fight For Everyone The Leisure Society have released an online click-and-drag game based on the animated music video for their 2013 single Fight For Everyone. The game involves the player acting as a near-omnipotent hand, with the job of protecting a deer from some particularly savage foxes. There’s something intrinsically satisfying about fawning around, whisking foxes away from your stag. However (and you’ve been warned!), it’s a lot more difficult than it sounds and when the foxes do get your deer, they will be merciless. www.theleisuresociety.co.uk/fightforeveryone/
Philips Hue Lights
Have you ever wanted to change the lighting in your house to match your mood? Hue from Philips allows you to play with tone, brightness and colour to create different ambiences in your house, depending on how you’re feeling. You could have bright white lights when you’re getting ready to go out or warm, dusky orange for a romantic night in. You can also set the lights to mimic sunrise, enabling you to wake up naturally and gently in the morning. In their words: “Lots of colours means lots of fun!”” www.lighting.philips.co.uk/lightcommunity/lightgallery/hue/
Technology New Year’s Resolutions
Let’s face it, we’ve all got bad technology habits: we spend too much time on social media, we text our friends instead of seeing them in person, we go out for dinner and spend most of our time obsessively checking our phone. So, in the New Year, why not make some resolutions designed to combat our ever-increasing dependence on technology? Talk more, tweet less. Don’t use your phone whilst you’re in conversation. Only use one form of technology at a time: if you’re watching TV, don’t also use your phone, your tablet and your laptop. wuwomagazine.com
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30
BOOKS
Books Each month WUWO’s Lloyd Paige reads through as many books as possible and picks out a mixed selection of literature to review, below are his findings. Harbour Street by Ann Cleeves If snow falls in the North, you’d better wrap up and if there’s a murder, you’d better call DI Vera Stanhope. The body of an old lady, Margaret Krukowski, is found on the crowded train that Detective Joe Ashworth and his daughter Jessie happen to be travelling on. Jessie notices something is wrong and it isn’t long before Vera is called to investigate. When a second woman is murdered, Vera and Joe have to delve deeper into Margaret’s Harbour Street neighbourhood, a place where no one wants to speak. Published by Macmillan, £16.99
The Josie Gibson Diet: Love Food, Get Slim, Stay Slim by Josie Gibson The period after the festive break brings a flurry of New Year resolutions, one of which is to lose weight. Some of us need a bit of motivation, reality TV star Josie Gibson has stepped in to help. Having experienced weight problems herself she is now ready to hit the catwalk and advises us to eat natural foods. Josie’s own battle with her weight should help a lot of readers to relate to her. Published by Macmillan, £12.99
Bedsit Disco Queen: How I grew up and tried to be a pop star [Paperback] by Tracey Thorn Any girl that buys an electric guitar at sixteen and joins a band deserves respect. It also helps when that band goes on to be as successful as ‘Everything But The Girl.’ Now available in paperback, this book shines the light on Tracey Thorn’s unique experiences. Anyone wanting to enter the next series of X-Factor could do a lot worse than to read this first. Published by Virago, £8.99
Private L.A. (Private 7) by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan James Patterson commits himself to yet another author team up, this time with Mark Sullivan. Investigator Jack Morgan has his work cut out when movie stars Thom and Jennifer Harlow go missing. They’re the perfect Hollywood couple with every aspect of their lives managed for them, so it’s difficult to get the truth behind the gloss. Jack soon finds that nothing is perfect and when he manages to dig deep enough, he unearths a barrel of secrets and hidden deceptions. Published by Century, £18.99
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BLAG IT 31
How to Blag it: in an Orchestra
An orchestra conductor’s main roles are to unify the players, to set the tempo and to tell players when to come in. WUWO spoke to Matthew J. Hampson, conductor of An Evening of Movies & Musicals, about how to blag it as an orchestra conductor.
Firstly, you must be able to count, to keep time and to bounce, as well as knowing the piece. Matthew J. Hampson tells us he’s never had a lesson in his life, so how hard can it be? BOUNCE Bouncing is essentially being a human metronome and is usually done with the conductor’s right hand, with or without a baton. Indicate the beats with a series of small (but noticeable) bounces, and make sure to give an upward flick to indicate the end of each bar. Notes are played on the downbeat. Each conductor has their own personal style and may not stick to predefined patterns. It doesn’t matter too much if you’re a bit unconventional, as long as you can keep time.
gesticulating wildly. You’ll only confuse everyone and lose your place. KNOW THE PIECE If you can read music, and you can read a book aloud, you’re all set. If not, YouYube is a musical goldmine, so find a video of other conductors doing the same piece and get mimicking! PASSION Passion is essential. If you break down crying at the end, make sure the audience knows it’s because you really, really felt the music and not because you have stage fright or you know the orchestra is going to beat you to death with your own sticks afterwards.
VOLUME Control the volume with your left hand, or if you prefer, with a bigger or smaller bounce. Palm-up motions indicate increases and palm-down motions indicate decreases.
If you’re more into looking the part than commanding the orchestra, your best bet is to rent a tuxedo and practise your arm movements by playing any game you can find for Wii. On the night, you’ll just have to hope for the best!
CUE Cue players in at the right time, before their part; you wouldn’t tell a driver to turn left as you were passing the turn. Preferably do this by making eye contact or gesturing at them, not shouting and
If all else fails, keep your hand waving in time, convey your meaning by a series of facial expressions and quote famous composer and violinist Eugene Ormandy: “Why do you always insist on playing while I’m trying to conduct?”
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